Sakura Blossoms
by Lady Gaara 69
Summary: Complete. Life gives a person what they need, when they need it. Fate can only go so far though, before the rest is left up to the person, and boy would he have to pay for his mistake. Seto x Shizuka, slight Seto x Kisara, Mokuba x Rebecca.
1. Hope for the Future

Note: An AU Seto/Serenity angst romance. I will be using their Japanese names. Seto meets Yugi and the others in first grade. Serenity, years later when he is 18 and she is 16. A lot of things from the anime/manga are in the story. Even though, it is an AU, how Seto and Mokuba become Kaibas is the same as the anime/manga, among other examples. Seto is 23 in this story. Mokuba is 18.

He hears the children playing in the background. The sun is setting. He closes his eyes as the wind gently caresses his hair. Aoi is now four and Suzaku one. It has been a year since she had left him. He looks to his children. Aoi is running. Suzaku is trying to catch up on his short clumsy legs. He falls on his face the next instant. Kaiba gets up dusting the sand off his pants. He reaches for his son, picking him up he wipes the sand off his lips. Suzaku laughs. Looking at the setting sun, he thinks to himself...'_Another day and I am still without you...I have to keep going though, if for nothing else for our children.' _He calls Aoi. The girl runs to him, taking his hand while the other is holding Suzaku. The three walk away from the beach.

_**Flashback**_

_He is afraid. His parents had insisted that he go to a public school. He understood that, but that is not why he had been afraid. He was afraid; because he had never been away from them or his younger brother until that point. He knew he had to make the best of the situation. Before entering the building, he turned for one last time to look at his parents; not knowing that would be the last time he would see them alive. He held his head high and had a smile on his face. His look of confidence hid his bluff very well. He bumps into the first of his friends an hour later. The boy introduces Kaiba to his group of friends minutes later. He hadn't even been through his first class period when he is called to the main office. An officer is there to break the news._

_He had been sitting at the chair for twenty minutes now. He was currently in his own world. He had completely zoned out the officer and the secretary were trying to break through his wall. Not even thoughts or concern for his brother reached his mind. He still stared at the wall when he feels a tug on his shirt. For some reason, he turns to see a boy his age with the weirdest hair, he has ever seen. It is spiky, red with a few blonde banga around his forehead. The boy looks at him with a curious, innocent expression. "Are you okay?" The boy asks in a barely audible voice. "I just found out my parents died in a car accident less than an hour ago." He still has a stony look on his face. The boy is about to say something when he hears his name being called. As the boy is leaving with his friend, Kaiba notices that they look identical._

_During lunch, he is sitting by himself. A privilege that only goes to an outsider, a new kid. Not that he is letting it bother him, he is still in his own little world when the blonde boy along with his friends join him. They didn't even ask if they could. The blonde boy had been leading his brother and their friends to their table; however he went the other way after seeing the brown haired boy all alone. Not only is he alone physically, the expression is painfully evident in his eyes. "My name is Yugi Motou and you are..." "Seto ." Yugi smiles which Seto quickly finds contagious. Yugi, didn't pressure him for a last name, since it seemed like he didn't want to give one. "This is my twin brother; Atemu but everyone calls him Yami...and my best friend Anzu Mazaki... "so what do you say, you want to be considered one of us." _

He is disturbed from his trip down memory lane, when his chauffer lets him know they have arrived at the mansion.He picks up his son who happens to be sleeping. His daughter had decided to latch herself onto his leg. _After he became an orphan along with his brother; he never thought his place of residence would turn out to be a luxurious one. After their parents died, he took extra care to watch and protect his brother. He never thought Gozaburo Kaiba would one day would come to the orphanage; or that he would challenge the millionaire to a game of chance, in the form of chess. Going from rags to riches so to speak, changed what learning faculity he would attend. Gozaburo thought it would be best if he was home schooled, leaving little time for visitors, specfically Yugi and his friends. In time he slowly forgot about them. Their paths crossed a few years later however, along with new faces. At this point, Gozaburo had been dead for a year. Kaiba had been 15 at the time; Mokuba 12. Kaiba had decided to go back to public school and that is when his life drastically changed, and not neccessarily for the better in his point of view; at least not at first. _

As he and his children go inside their house, they are greeted by his brother. Mokuba sees that he is still the same, just like he has been since the day she died. He keeps hoping Seto would have something happen to him, that would take away that look in his eyes. He knows his brother has more or less gotten over the denial stage of his grieving; but the loneliness and regret in his eyes has yet to disappear. He feels the same way as his brother. And just like his brother, he keeps on living for himself, Seto, his niece and nephew. He never really liked Shizuka. It wasn't that she hadn't been a nice person. It had been what had happened during the time she had dated his brother. Seto had slowly started to spend more of his time with her. Up until that point, Seto's attention had been focused on him alone. After their engagement had been announced, Mokuba couldn't help the jealously and resentment that had slowly crept into his heart. As the wedding quickly approached, he tried to squash these feelings, knowing the couple was in it for the long run. He tried his best to be happy for his brother. It hadn't helped that she had reached Seto on a level, not even he had been able to. Mokuba's feelings never allowed him to see beyond those emotions, in order to look for the positive aspects of the situation.

Mokuba sees that Aoi is pulling on her father's pant leg. Suzaku is screaming at the top of his lungs, tears running down his face. He sees that Seto has reached his daily tolerance level, and is about to break down. He quickly goes to diffuse the situation that is about to occur. He picks up Suzaku and drags Aoi away who starts kicking and screaming. She doesn't want to be separated from her father yet. As they are leaving the room, Seto simply stares at the rug lost in his own world. His brother's depression is starting to affect him and his children. He knew his brother truly loved his wife; when his brother came back to their house in a rage, and tears in his eyes one night a year and a half ago.

When Mokuba found out his sister-in-law had become terminally ill; he showed her a little more sympathy and compassion. He had questioned Seto about his problem that night. The answer he had received hadn't exactly shocked him, for it was something he expected of his brother. The form it came in, however had been unexpected, uncharacteristic like, and had come in the form of a slap. His brother had always been hard, since they had been children; however he had never thought his brother could be so cruel, to gone and done what he had. The emotions Mokuba had managed to keep inside for the past year finally flowed free, luckily he had just finished putting Aoi and Suzaku to sleep.

'_Why did she have to die?...I can't believe what an idiot I had been...She had been nothing but kind to me, and I had looked upon her as less than dirt...She changed my brother for the better, not even I had been able to do that...And now she is gone things have become so much worse than when he met her. _Mokuba walks back into the room his brother is occupying. Seto is in the same position he had been when he left. Only now, the tears have dried on his face. Before Mokuba could stop him, he had grabbed a vase tossing it across the room with all his anger, sorrow, and frustration. Upon impact with the wall, it shatters into small numerous pieces.

Seto falls to the floor. Mokuba sits by his brother and puts his head in his lap. Stroking his brother's hair in an attempt to calm him. He sees more tears springing from his eyes, as Seto raises his head a little to look at him. Seto grabs Mokuba's wrist, as his head falls back into his brother's lap. The moment being too serious, that neither bothers to contemplate how compromising the scene looks. The expression Mokuba had noticed in Seto's eyes, tells him that there is nothing anyone can do to help him. It leaves him feeling helpless, for he can only watch in silence and try his best to comfort his older brother. That expression also let him know that his brother's heart is beyond repair. '_It is all up to Seto, if he wants to get better...For now my brother is just a shell of a man...I will be there for him always, regardless of this._


	2. Hook, line and sinker

Seto awakened the next morning to Aoi jumping up and down on his bed. "What are you doing?" "Isn't obvious, daddy...It took you long enough to wake up." He smiles at her, patting the empty space next to him. As she sits by him, he takes her in his embrace. "Where is your uncle?" "Changing Suzaku." Rising from the bed, he makes his way downstairs to make breakfast. It is something he had gotten into the habit of doing when he had started dating Shizuka. He is by far from achieving chef status, but Mokuba has told him he has come a long way. Flipping the pancakes as Aoi watches, he thinks of her mother. He knows he has to live again, if for nothing else but for his children. He knows he has gotten over grieving for her. Yet for some reason, he is still clinging on to his memories, quite desperately.

**Flashback**

_He has entered his first year of high school. His brother is to start attending junior high next year. He has tried to go to public school for the last two years now. Gozaburo would always prevent him from doing so. Now that his adoptive father is dead; he did what he has longed to do. Yugi and his friends would come visit him every chance they got. After Gozaburo had adopted him and Mokuba, Yugi and the others would come over to see him. It however, quickly became evident that he wasn't allowed to have visitors. So they had been forced to make times he could sneak away to meet them. That didn't last long before Gozaburo found out, at that point his interaction with them ceased. He wasn't sure why friends he had unintentionally forgotten, suddenly sprung to his mind. __He leaves the office, making his way to his first class. He sees a boy his age with spiky blonde and red hair with his back turned on him. 'With his hairstyle, that can only be one of two people.' "Yugi." Kaiba calls out. The boy turns around. It takes him a moment to recognize who mistook him. "Kaiba?" "Yes" "How have you been, Kaiba?" "Good and you?" "Great, listen I have to go...I can't be late for my class... Yugi, the others, and I will look for you after school. Left alone and identifying his mistake, he goes in the opposite direction to his class._

_The day passes faster than he anticipated. Waiting for his ride; he is currently sitting under a Sakura tree, in order to get away from the heat. Enjoying the brief breeze, he hears someone clearing their throat. Opening his eyes, he sees Yugi and his friends. "Hey, Kaiba." "Hey, Yugi?" "Right...You remember the others." "Hai." "Well, the others are Mai Kujaku, Malik Ishtar, his sister Isis, and their adopted brother, Rishid. He came to live with them a couple of years ago." The Ishtars at this point say they have to go; Rishid leading the way he only came to pick them up. "Otogi Ryuji...Ryou and his twin Bakura..Honda Hiroto...Katsuya Jounouchi...You of course remember Anzu, and this is Shizuka Kawai: she's Katsuya's sister, their parents are divorced and she is just visiting...She is here to have an operation to prevent her from losing her eyesight." _

_Atemu/Yami picked up the introduction where his brother left off, after the Ishtars'. Atemu is unaware that his words are more than lost on Kaiba. After being introduced to Shizuka, Kaiba finds he can't form anything coherent to say. He gets up to introduce himself properly. Too quickly though for he trips; not being able to catch himself in time, he stumbles into Shizuka. They both fall with him on top of her. . Helping her up, he focuses on her. ' She has such beautiful eyes, and her hair is very nice shade...It's more than something physical...I barely met her yet I know I have been drawn in, and there is no escape; not that I would want to.' "Go out with me?" He somehow manages to get out before his mouth becomes dry once again. This being the ice breaker. He notices Otogi's and Honda's glares as she gives him her answer. "Hai, I would like that." Her brother doesn't seem too happy about it either; but then he would feel that way for anyone who asked her out. _

After making breakfast for his children and brother, Seto made sure Aoi and Suzaku had gotten ready for school. The two are currently struggling for the possession of something he can't identify. "Aoi, let go now." "But otouasan, it's mine." "Maybe, however how old is Suzaku?" He simply gives her a reprimanded look while she is hesitating. "You heard your father, let go Aoi." After her uncle reinforces her father, she gently lets go so her brother won't fall. "Hurry up or you will be late." Seto goes to wipe Suzaku's face. As he is doing this he thinks of the both of them. Brother and sister are two peas in a pod, yet are as different as day and night.

Genetics had decided to play a joke on him, for neither resemble him. Aoi has light skin like her uncle; along with acquiring his blonde hair, only lighter to the point it almost seems white, accompained with hazel eyes. Suzaku has a hint of having being tan colored but is more light skinned. He has green eyes with dirty blonde hair. Suzaku's personality is easygoing like his mother's. Aoi's however is neutral. Through tests, it has been proven that Aoi is far from being a genius like him. He had been a little disappointed about the fact.

He loves his children unconditionally. After they had been born and it became evident they didn't resemble him in any way; he thought his genes would have at least give them intelligence above the average level. Something he passed on to them but nature didn't even give him that. Not that it truly mattered, unlike some fathers he didn't need DNA tests to prove that they are his children. He knows without a shadow of a doubt, they are his. The Jounouchis' genes simply wound up being the dominant ones. No matter how they look or what they accomplish in life, he will always love them and be proud of them. They are his and no one else's. The legacies his wife left him. He would make her proud. He keeps existing just for them. He knows in time he will start to live for himself again. He is all they have. He is their source for love, shelter, and encouragement.

**Flashback**

_It has been a week since he asked Shizuka out. He is to meet her in an hour. One of the things in life he never had wanted to do in life, is to get himself involved with a woman. He had considered them too much of a distraction, and he has too much to do with his life. He also has to care for his brother. Yet upon getting a glance of her, those thoughts had been blown out of the water, dead and buried. He is a man of action; one who has plans with how he wants his life to be. He stayed this way even after they met. It didn't bother him that life had thrown him a curve ball. If it had been another woman, it definetly would have. Actually, he wouldn't have even looked their way. However with her, what could he have done; she is by far the most beautiful woman that has ever graced his presence. or ever would. He knew this by instinct alone._

_After he had asked her out, he managed to get out the where and when. He walks out the door. He gets in his car. He has never driven his own car before, usually the vehicle is for show. Since meeting her though, the last thing he wants to do is impress her. Sure, his car is a fancy one; at least it is better than arriving in a limo with a chauffer. He arrives at her brother's place with enough time. Jounouchi greets him at the door. Just as Jounouchi is about to give him the big brother lecture, she arrives telling him she will see him later. He would have given her flowers; however his objective isn't to impress her. And sure he isn't the average guy, he does things his own way. It would have helped, if he had actually had thought to get some, not that she appears to mind._

_They arrive at the park. He helps her out of the car. He holds her hand as they are walking, their fingers interwined. She had picked a good spot; not only is it protecting them from the sun. It is also a secluded area of the park. He has come to this park many times when he has wanted to get away from his stressed life; either with Mokuba or by himself. He lets go of her hand, relinquishing the basket to her for a moment. He spreads the cloth on the grass. He takes the basket from her._

_As she sits down, he is emptying the basket's contents. He tells her she can take what she wants. He got food he somehow knew she would like. Handing her a drink, the comfortable silence envelopes them once again. After they are finished, he takes her in his embrace. They stay like this for quite some time; before she informs him she has to go to the bathroom. He tells her he will pack up while she is doing that. He goes to put the things in the car before she comes back, for an idea has just crossed his mind. She returns to see him falling from a tree nearby. His back to her. "Seto, what are you doing?" He almost drops what he is holding at her saying his name._

_He walks backward to her, in order to keep the thing hidden from her. Upon reaching her, he turns around. "These are for you." He hands her the bouquet he made. The smile brightens her face, and causes his heart to feel elation. "How did you know Sakuras' are my favorite flowers?" "I don't know, I just took a wild guess...In my opinion, they fit your personality." "Thank you." She embraces him. He puts his hands around her, and his head on hers, reveling the way she feels in his arms. They stayed that way until after the sun set._


	3. Bedtime Story

He had been fast asleep when he felt the whispering in his ear. Slowly waking up, he is faced with a pair of hazel eyes. "Aoi, what are you doing?" He turns to look at the time. "It's 2 in the morning." "I had a nightmare, Uncle Mokuba...I tried to wake daddy but he just turned over." "Come here, its okay...I'm here for you." "Uncle Mokuba, sometimes I don't think daddy really loves me and Suzaku." "Aoi, that's not true...In fact that is the farthest thing from the truth...He is just having a hard time...He still has to get over your mom's death...I know I will tell you a story." The child is automatically intrigued at those words. "What's it about?"

"A prince who was arrogant, rich beyond his imagination. It hadn't always been that way though, when he was young he only had his brother. Their parents had died when they were really young. His brother had not even been a year old. The people that took them in temporarily had decided not to separate them, due to the older brother's age. Despite being parentless, the brothers were happy to still have each other." "Uncle Mokuba, who adopted them?" "Well, one day a man came to the orphanage; the man was a very successful businessman. The prince had decided to challenge the businessman to a game of wits, in the form of chess. If he won, the man had to adopt him and his brother. When they had entered the orphanage, the prince had made a promise to himself, that he would give his brother the life he felt he deserved. The businessman's appearance had been his window of opporunity, and he refused to let the chance slide. The prince wound up winning the game. He had practiced all hours of the day, in order to win."

"The prince must be a genius." "Oh, he is Aoi, always has been...He had been able to give his brother the stabilty he had longed for him...However, he quickly learned that being rich wasn't all it was cracked up to be...While his brother was almost everything, he could desire...The thing he wanted most though was his brother's company...For when they came to live with the businessman, he started working the elder sibling to the bone...The prince's education would go on for hours on end, with no sign of stopping...When he would become exhausted, the prince would remind himself, what he was doing was all for his brother. So he would start all over again, more than willing to suffer day in and day out for the person most important to him."

"What about friends?...Didn't the prince have friends, Uncle Mokuba?" "In time he did...He didn't always see eye to eye with a couple of the people in his group of friends...In fact he could barely tolerate some of them...Due to his upbringing, he had been forced to keep everything inside, making him more mature than his age...So, the immaturity some of them displayed would get on his nerves...Through one of his friends, he wound up meeting the one person; the only person who had been able to break through his wall...Not even his brother had been able to do this, that fact left his brother feeling jealously and resentment toward that person."

"That's a different story however...One I will have to tell you some other time...I need to get some more rest...I am going to be busy later." They had not known that someone had been watching from the doorway. The eavesdropper quickly retreats when he sees the uncle picking his niece up, in order to take her back to her room. He had been there from the very beginning. He had never realized that the uncle had felt that way. He had never been informed of this. ' _Where did I gone wrong, all I have done has been for him...Sure she had been the only one to break through my defenses, but I never sacrificed my childhood for her...I never sacrificed anything for her...She accepted me the way I am, and I loved her all the more for it...I stiil do, I always will...She is the only woman I will ever need...I can't believe I almost failed her by treating her the way I did towards the end. After all the love and patience she showed me, I threw it all in her face._' That is Kaiba's last thought before sleep overtakes him again.

An hour has gone by, and he had tried to no avail to go back to sleep. After the story he told Aoi, he couldn't get Shizuka out of his mind. He thought of how he could have liked her at first, then Seto had started spending time with no one but her. Going back to the day, he had found out she was terminally ill. The three of them had been in the entertainment lounge discussing how their day had gone. She suddenly stood up. Her face extremely pale. She had managed taking a step forward, before becoming unconscious. Seto instinctively broke her fall. He had gone to call a ambulance as his brother placed her back on the sofa. Despite how he felt about her, Mokuba couldn't help but also feel concern for her. It took several days and tests to discover what was wrong with her. Thinking of the pain she had to endure, causes him to go into a fit of tears. Before he knows it and being unaware, he falls asleep dreaming of the girl who has gotten his interest.

They had been introduced at the Egyptian exhibit their city's museum had decided to open. Isis made the intial introductions. Since she was from Egypt, and her friend was an archeologist, who was especially interested in Egyptian culture. It was only natural that they would be constant companions. He had been there to expand to a different group of hopeful business associates for his brother's company. Unlike his brother, he was more sociable. He had no idea he would meet his future wife at such a casual event in his eyes. He ignored the reporters and photographers who were there for the event's opening. He was also unaware that through wanting to be with her, he would expand the percentage of geniuses in his lineage. For that exactly what she was, and she would pass it on to her son.


	4. Conversation, understanding, and a fight

He is awakened due to the light that is seeping into the room through the open curtains. For a brief moment, he is unable to recall where he is. Sitting up he looks around, before cradling his head from the headache that has decided to greet him. He pulls back the covers. Rising from the bed, he doesn't even bother to get ready first, as he makes a beeline to his childrens' rooms. He walks in to see Mokuba holding Suzaku in his lap, and Aoi jumping up and down on her bed, smiling at her uncle. He can swear that jumping on her bed is his daughter's favorite thing to do.

Suzaku is the first to notice his father. He joyously leaves his uncle's lap and gets off the bed. He starts going faster then his feet should be able to allow him; yet somehow he manages not to fall over. As he is right before Kaiba, he reaches out his arms, signaling he wants to be picked up. "Otouasan." He says before laughing. The other occupants of the room stare at him. Kaiba picks him up. "Suzaku, say it again." Suzaku decides to ignore his father, and turns to look at his sister and uncle. Mokuba is hoping this is the thing that will get Seto one step closer to healing. '_ I mean having his son saying father as his first word must make Seto feel overjoyed.'_

Mokuba gets up to leave. He doesn't want to intrude on the moment the family is having. He is about to walk out the room when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He doesn't bother to turn around. "Mokuba, I am going to see if I can drop these two of with Jounouchi...If not I know one of our friends would be willing to watch them for the day...I would like the two of us to spend the day together...I know I have been occupied with the children and work not to mention my grief; that I haven't spent any quality time with you in a long while...Well, what do you say?" "How about you still take them to see their uncle...We will do this another day...I already have other plans." He turns to see the rejected look in his brother's eyes. He quickly leaves the room. _' I can't be around with him; when all I have been thinking about lately is Shizuka, and what he did to her...I will wind up doing something I will regret if I am alone with him.'_

Mokuba leaves the mansion, not knowing where he is going. His mind, which happens to be on auto pilot right now, is on his motorcycle. An image of a woman that he hasn't seen in a while enters his thoughts. He sees her long blonde hair moving due to the breeze. The time they had run into each other years after they had first met; he had persuasively suggested that they should go for a walk. That is where they had found themselves in the middle of a forest; the sun had been setting. She had her back to him. He was a couple of feet behind her. Admiring how truly beautiful she is, when the wind decided to greet them with its presence, causing the image to be burned into his memories.

The image is currently in his mind. She had turned to him with a smile on her face. He can still remember how he had felt to want to kiss those lips; the way her eyes had sparkled with anticipation. He had taken her hand instead, telling her that his brother needed him first. She looked at him with disappointment yet understanding, for he had given her a brief summary of his brother's depression and its cause. She had told him, she would wait as long as she could, for she really liked him and would want to see where their relationship could go. That had been a year ago, he hopes she is still waiting as he makes his way to where he can reach her.

He is still standing where his brother had left him. He couldn't understand; he had thought this was something his brother had been waiting for, after what he had heard Mokuba telling Aoi this morning. It never once occupies his mind that he is the real cause for the distance between them. That it has nothing to do with Shizuka anymore, Seto has no idea Mokuba knows about that night. That evening had cost him losing her for a while, something he thought he could have lived with, since she had been dying anyway. He had been proven wrong a week afterward, for in that time he had been unable to sleep nor eat. Mokuba had been forced to take the children and stay with Yugi, in order to avoid his brother's wrath. For after the fourth day, Seto had completely lost it after Aoi had accidently broken something.

**Flashback**

_He had been trying to tell Seto to calm down. His words had gone unheeded. His brother had a dangerous glint in his eyes, as he took a step closer to Aoi. Mokuba had quickly interceded. He had ordered his niece to take her brother, and go upstairs and not to come down until he said it was okay. She readily obeyed. She normally doesn't like being told what to do, however in this case she had been afraid of the look in her father's eyes. He sidestepped his brother; "They are my children, you can't keep me from them." He told Mokuba who had gotten in his way again. "That's right, they are children which is why I won't let you harm them...You aren't yourself right now, Seto...I suggest..." He had never gotten the chance to finish when the blow came. Stunned that his brother punched him, he tackled Kaiba the next moment._

_Being the best at almost everything they did, Seto had quickly had gotten the upper hand. He turns them over, so his brother is under him. His knees on his brother's back. He had grabbed Mokuba's hair pulling on it. The next moment, he pushed Mokuba's face down so that it harshly met the floor. Mokuba managed to knock the wind out of his brother the next instant. With that moment of opporunity, he shoved Kaiba off of him; before kicking him in the chest. Mokuba had started to run to Aoi's room, although it wasn't as easy with his sight being blurry; and his nose bleed briefly. Since this was his house, he didn't really need to focus as to where he was going. He knew the vicinity inside and out. It would have helped though, if the dizziness would have gone away._

_He had almost made it to Aoi's room, when he felt the tug on his ankle. Landing hard on the floor, his nose once again starts to bleed quite profusely this time. Kaiba had gone after Mokuba once he had recovered, as he had been about to reach him though. He had tripped. Reaching out he made contact with the body part available to him. Seeing his brother go down the next instant, he had quickly gotten up, crawling to him. They heard Aoi comfort Suzaku who is crying hysterically from the sounds of the two brothers struggling. _

_Mokuba knows he has one last chance. His need to protect his niece and nephew gives him newfound strength. They both got up at the same time. Mokuba quickly pushes his dizziness away, as he charged Kaiba once again tackling him. Seto grabs his face ready to head butt him ending the fight. Mokuba however does the same to him, only he started to bang his brother's head repeatedly against the floor, while straddling his chest for better leverage. When he knows his brother has had enough; he lets go of Seto's hair. His brother groans and slowly stirs. Mokuba punches him twice hard enough to render him unconscious. He had managed to get up without falling. However he stumbled the few feet from where Aoi's bedroom door is. _

_After being let in, he retrieves them; telling them to close their eyes so they won't see what he had been forced to do to their father. He forced himself to carry the brother and sister past the gates; in order for whoever he called would have the opporunity to reach them, for only the Kaibas' were in the security database. Knowing he had gone as far as he could go, they are 100 feet away from the property's entrance. With enough coherent thought he called the one person, he knew his brother didn't know the residence of, at least not the one the couple was currently at. He knew that wouldn't stop his brother though. In time Seto would find them. _

_So he was going to make it difficult for him, if only for a little while. At first he had thought to go to the lodge they owned in Kyoto; but not only would that have made that easy for his brother to locate them. It would have left the three of them vulnerable. After explaining the situation and pleading for help, which thankfully she didn't refuse. She was a sucker for a person in need. He passed out. His last thought being that he hoped his brother didn't recover before she arrived. Aoi ran to him, shaking him and begging for him to get up. Suzaku once again started crying for now though, he couldn't completely comprehend on some level why his uncle fell. He was scared that he wasn't responding to his sister. Somehow, he knew this wasn't a game. He would soon forget the incident though, for his mind was too young to remember something as terrifying as this. _

_She had been having a conversation with her fiancee when her cell rang. They were suppose to marry last year but Shizuka had wound up passing away, so she thought to have the ceremony postponed to give them enough time to deal with her death. She knew the both of them really would never get over it. But they had waited until the deepest of the wound was sealed somewhat. Before she had met him, she knew his sister had been the most important person in his life. Well, she always would be but she became equally as important to him as his sister. She had been suprised at who the caller was, for she instantly recoginzed his voice even though they hadn't talked to each other for almost a year. "Mai, I need your help, and whatever you do don't tell Jounouchi please...I am right in front of the mansion..." He passed out after that sentence. She had been facing Jounouchi, so she couldn't hide the panic that had entered her eyes. _

_After hanging up, she starts walking out the door with him behind her concerned. "Mai, who was that and don't lie or evade me." Knowing he is in a persistent mood she answers him. "Katsuya, koi, that was Mokuba." Upon hearing those words he suddenly becomes concerned for his niece and nephew; knowing Mokuba wouldn't call unless it was for a good reason. They haven't talked to the Kaibas' nor gone to see them; since he found out how Kaiba had treated his sister before she had died. He grabbed Mai's hand. They made it to the Kaiba mansion in record time. _

_The scene they came upon shocked Mai. It shocked Jounouchi but it also angered him; knowing who was behind it for he was the only person who would do such a thing. Aoi is holding onto Suzaku who has fallen asleep due to his crying. Aoi is still tugging on Mokuba's sleeve with her free hand, like she has been doing for the last twenty minutes. She now has tears in her eyes. Mai approaches them. Aoi turns at the sound of the person's footsteps. She sees a lady with long blonde hair and violet eyes, which have a kind expression. Against her better judgement, she lets the stranger pick her and her brother up. The man with her walks up to her uncle; looking him over before picking him up on his back. _

_On the drive back they had all remained silent. The couple knew they had to keep their questions to themselves until Mokuba awakened. For Aoi was just a child and, they didn't want to make her more distraught then she must already be. For Jounouchi it wasn't easy restraining himself, for his anger is seething below the surface. They put Mokuba in the guest room. Hours went by before he awakened; Jounouchi and Mai waited up for him. They had put Aoi to sleep an hour after they had arrived. Sometime, in the night Suzaku had awakened due to hunger._

_After being fed, he quickly fell asleep again. Mokuba came out of the room disoriented. Mai and Jounouchi approached him. "Let me take a look at you as you fill us in on what happened?" Mai told Mokuba. Taking off his shirt, he lets Mai look him over, as she runs her hands down his ribs checking for fractures, he tells them what happened. "Seto, lost it...He needs help...He isn't getting over Shizuka's death properly...I can't exactly blame him for what happen...He hasn't slept or eaten for days now...Aoi had accidentally broken something when he started to go after her...I had never seen that look in his eyes before...He looked like he was going to commit murder...I got in his way...I was losing, so I had been attempting to reach Aoi's room...I had told her to take Suzaku and go to her room when Seto had snapped...I had almost made it when he got a hold of me...I almost lost, so I took the window of opporunity I had." _

_Jounouchi is standing right n front of him with a glare in his eyes, and his arms crossed. "What happened then?" "I grabbed his hair and started to bang his head against the floor, before punching him twice for good measure...After that I made to where you found me before calling Mai." "I'm sorry, Mokuba but he had been with me when you had called...He saw that something was wrong and I couldn't evade him...He had been in his persisent mood...What are you going to do now...You know you can't keep his children from him." "I know but I think if I give him at least a week, he will be in a more understanding mood...Still angry for what I did but more understanding...As soon as they wake up, we have to leave...We can't stay here...We would only be trouble for the two of you." "Sorry, Mokuba but you can't...I refuse to let you walk out of here with my niece and nephew." Mokuba turns to Mai to see she is as serious about them staying as her fiancee. Mokuba has no choice but to agree, knowing Jounouchi can be as forceful as his brother when he needs to be. Mai had just finished patching him up._

_He awakened wondering what had happened. He tries to get up before falling back, that had been too fast for his current state. He tries again only slower this time. He is lucky his legs are able to support him. The memory of how he wound up this way come back to him. All these emotions and thoughts run through him. He is angry with what his brother had done; but also suprised and somewhat proud. He knew he had made Mokuba desperate enough to be able to beat him. He starts crying. ' I can't blame him...Its not his fault, I exploded and came close to hurting Aoi...I almost hurt my own daughter...Shizuka-chan, Aoi-chan forgive me." When they come back he will make it up to them. This has caused him to realize that he needs to move on. He can't keep his wife's shadow in his closet. She wouldn't want that anyway. She would want him to be happy. He would let Mokuba come back with his children when he is ready. It will give them enough time to deal with what had happened. Mokuba calls him a week later. Letting him know that if he is fine now, they will come back. Kaiba was ecstatic to see his brother and children. That had been six months ago._

**End Flashback**

Mokuba finds himself at the airport. He calls his brother letting him know that he will be out for an undetermined amount of time. He gets in line for the airline he has decided to travel on. He knows he is going to wind up offending her with his odor. He hadn't planned on going to visit her. It had been spontaneous. Therefore he hadn't packed; so he is getting on a plane for almost half a day with no personal hygenie items or clothes, he just has what he is wearing. He remembers her address from the last time they had talked. She had given it to him before they had parted.

After landing in the city she resides in, he starts walking to the outskirts where her house is actually located. Her grandfather had decided years ago that he prefered living away from people; and closer to nature without truly shutting himself off from civilization. Therefore he had acres of land that is surrounded by a forest; their house has a ranch on it. Despite working and having a maid and butler, she makes sure she manages how the household is runned, and that it is always cleaned, whenever she isn't working though; which is extremely rare. Making her rich didn't mean she had to be spoiled every second of the day.

He had been forced to jump the wall. The butler had refused him access to the property. He found somewhere to hide in order not to be kicked off the premises. He had occupied most of his day by sleeping. The sun has an hour before it sets when he notices her walking down the driveway. As she gets close enough his hand shots out grabbing her; pulling her to him. He covers her mouth before she can scream. "Calm down, its only me." Upon hearing the familiar voice, she stops struggling letting him direct her. He finds a area he thinks is private enough. She recoils from his embrace. "What are you doing here, Mokuba?"

Confused by her question he takes a few steps back. "I had thought it would be obvious." "You mean?" "No, not quite...He still needs me along with Aoi and Suzaku...But he is getting there...So I thought we could take it slow...And to show you I am serious, I bought this for you, Rebecca." He reaches into his pocket pulling a small burgundy box out; remembering she doesn't like the color black. She hesitates taking it. She opens it. The box reveals a sterling silver ring that has a diamond in the middle, with her birthstone on either side of it. All of a sudden she smells him, holding her nose. "Sorry, I haven't had a chance to take a shower since yesterday morning." The next moment, she jumps into his arms straddling his waist before giving him a gentle and brief kiss. "By the way, how was your last expedition?' Taking his hand, leading him to her house up ahead for a much need shower. "Good, I can't wait to get back...I decided to take a couple of months off...Once were married, are you sure you can put up with me not always being there for you and the children." He stops his movement. She turns to face him wondering why he stopped. He pulls her to him, enveloping her in a bear hug. "Just because you will be away from us constantly due to your occupation, doesn't mean you won't always be here for us...You always will be, maybe not physically but you most defintely will be." He sealed his brief speech with a tender kiss.


	5. Proposal

He had been back in Japan for two days now; and whenever it is possible he calls his fiancee. He has yet to tell his brother. He will tonight. He is unsure how Kaiba will take it. Not that he really cares, its his life his decision to make not his brother's. The week he returned after the fight they had had; Seto has improved for the better somewhat. He started to eat again and sleep on a regular basis. He still got depressed by the end of the day; like that evening they had come back from the park, and he had had to put Aoi and Suzaku to bed for his brother. He hadn't lost control like he had six month ago though. Mokuba is currently rummaging through things in his closet.

He reaches for something, causing a shoebox to fall down. The lid has fallen off. He bends down to pick it up. Upon noticing what is inside, he goes to his bed and sits down. Taking the contents out, looking at the pictures; he remembers that part of his brother's courtship with Shizuka. He had still been in the process of denying his resentment. Well, actually not denying it just not showing it. His brother had been dating Shizuka for six months now; and ever since then he has been bored out of his mind. He had no one to talk to or interact with after school. He couldn't do that with Shizuka because not only would he refuse himself to ask her. She revealed herself to be one who has no interest in video games. Games of any kind actually, she thought she had better things to do.

**Flashback**

_He didn't know what he is going to do. He had been dating Shizuka for six months now. He had been planning to ask her something important. However, his plans had been derailed when he found out he had to travel to America for a business convention. He had to work on obtaining a merger with a company he has tried to do business with for a while now. While thinking of when to ask her now, an idea enters his brain. He can have someone else hold the item for him. And he knew just who to give it to, calling Yugi he explains his situation. Now all he is waiting for is for Shizuka to come over and Mokuba to get home from school. _

_Once they arrived, he informed them about his unexpected business trip. "Mokuba, I need to speak with you in private." Mokuba follows Kaiba. "Yes, Seto." "I need you to watch over Shizuka, while I am away...She can stay here if she desires to..." "Alright." "Thanks Mokuba." He walks out of the room. He embraces Shizuka, kissing her cheek. He whispers in her ear. "Aishiteru, I will be back as soon as I am able to...Remember what I said, Mokuba." The elder Kaiba is out the door and in the limo the next minute. Shizuka turns to Mokuba with confused. "Mokuba, what did your brother tell you?" "He said you can stay here, if you want and that I am to watch over you." "That's very sweet and all, but you know you don't have to do that." The conversation was left at that. He wouldn't have, but since his brother asked him to, he would. He looked up to his brother, whatever he said went._

**Day twenty**

_Shizuka had decided to stay at the mansion. It made her feel closer to Kaiba during his absence. She had been able to tell from day one that Mokuba tolerated her for his brother's sake. She didn't tell him to his face she knew, nor would she. She understood why he felt the way he did. Before she had entered Kaiba's life, his attention had been focused only on Mokuba. She is an intruder who has taken his brother for the most part, away from him. She had decided after she had realized this; she would make the best of the situation. She really cared about Kaiba, and she wasn't going to let his brother drive them apart. She knew he had been as serious about her, as she was about him. She kind of had to deal with the same thing with her brother. But that is only because he is being overprotective._

_She had awakened to be greeted by her door being slammed. She groans knowing it is Mokuba. She hears him running away from her room. Getting up she quickly realized he slammed the door in order to wake her up; evidentally hoping to get on her nerves. She takes a shower before getting dressed and going downstairs to make breakfast. It had been a Saturday morning. She had suggested that the two of them go out somewhere. Mokuba declined looking bored. She had been about to suggest something else, when her cell rang. "Moshi, moshi." "Hello, how are you this morning?" "Good." "I'm sorry...I haven't been able to call sooner...I need to talk to Mokuba." _

_She hands the phone to his brother; feeling disappointed that he didn't want to speak to her more. And when he had he hadn't sounded happy to see her. She saw Mokuba is far from ecstatic. He hands the phone back to her. "Hai?" "Shizuka, I sent you something that should be arriving right now." At that the moment, the doorbell had rung. Answering it, the person hands her a manila folder. "There are directions inside...You are to follow them and Mokuba is suppose to accompany if you need help." He ended the phone call after that._

_Mokuba is standing right next to her wondering about the envelope's contents. Upon reading, the paper she is confused. "What is it?" He questions seeing her confused expression. "It seems to be clues...can you make sense of them." It doesn't take the two to figure the clues out. It however takes them half the morning to reach their destination. They are now standing in front of Yugi's game shop. Upon entering, the owner faces them. "Ohayo, its been a while; how have two of you been?" The sixteen and fifteen year old start a light conversation with him. When Mokuba thinks it is about time to leave, not knowing what they should be looking for in here; Yugi halts them. "Here, Kaiba gave this to me before he left...He said I was to pass it along whenever you came here." This time it is a small piece of paper. They tell Yugi they will visit him again when they get the chance._

_Half an hour later, they are in front of Kaiba Corporation. Her and Mokuba enter the building rather easily. They are in the elevator. He wants to break the silence, but doesn't know what to say. Shizuka turns to him with a smile on his face. "I admire you, Mokuba...You know what you want and what you don't...You go for what you what with absolute determination...I wish I could be like that." "You are Shizuka; I mean you are still dating my brother...I hadn't thought there would be a woman alive who could deal with him...Yet somehow, you being in his life has influenced him to be kinder than he thought he ever could be...I am grateful to you for that...I only wish." "You wish what, Mokuba." "Its nothing." _

_She had been about to insist when the elevator stopped and the doors opened. They noticed they had wound up on the floor that Kaiba's office is. They are walking down the hallway. They reach his office. His door is open. They enter the room looking around for what they are suppose to be searching for. The back of his chair is facing them. A hand comes out from behind it. It stretches out as far as it can go. They both see this. A small box is in the palm of the hand. The chair turns around to reveal its occupant. Joy is reflected on both their faces, along with their companion's. He walks around the desk. _

_Reaching her, he takes her hand. "I have no idea what I did to deserve you, or even meet you; but I knew from the moment I saw you I knew I wanted to keep you, so that you would always be by my side...What I am asking is for you to accept what's inside the box, so I can show everyday for the rest of our lives how devoted I am to you...What do you say, Shizuka?" She replies without hestitation. "Hai." Seeing that there was nothing he could do, now that they are engaged. Mokuba decided to join them rather than beat them. 'All I want is for him to be happy, and if she makes him happy, then there isn't much I can do now but accept the situation.' He issues them his regards. _


	6. Cruelty at its best Love at its worst pt...

After he had checked on Aoi and Suzaku, he had gone to his room. He had started pacing. '_ Of all the nerve, she had to come back here; after I had told her not to...I really shouldn't be blaming her anyway...I am the one who started all these...Shizuka, I would give almost anything to take back what I had done. And to have another moment in order to hold you in my arms, so I can tell you how much I love you and how important you are to me. _He sits down on his bed. He reaches for the picture on the night stand. Running his hand down it longingly, as the woman he had known as his wife stares back at him, happily. '_ I had been such a fool, koi...I threw the wonderful loving relationship we had had in your face, when you had needed me the most...And for what, some woman who I could care less about at the end of the day.' _ He starts thinking of the night, he had showed his wife no compassion.

_He had been staying at his office late every night; since he had told her his decision. Months have gone by, and in that time he has had to attend business conferences in the vicinity. During one of these he met her; she had long blue hair and light skin. She was one of the most attractive women he has come across. Although, no woman could ever match Shizuka's personality and beauty. At this point, he just couldn't admit it to himself. If he did, he would have to face what a mistake he made, in detaching himself from her. He introduced himself to the woman. She returned the gesture; informing him that her name was Kisara. And that is how it started; whenever he had to attend those stupid functions; she was always his date. _

_One night he brought her home; he had thought Shizuka had been asleep. He had quickly been proven wrong. He had Kisara pinned to his bedroom door. Well, the one he occupied since the physical separation from his wife. Before they had been able to enter it; he heard familiar footsteps. "Where have you been?...I have been waiting for you." The words died on her lips; seeing what position her husband was in. Evidentally, he hadn't gotten his point across; for she still had hope in her eyes. He leaned down to kiss Kisara to make his point obvious. Shizuka stood in shock and denial before turning to run away._

_As soon as he had seen the hurt expression on her face; his heart plummented. He had suddenly felt disgusted with himself. He released Kisara who had tried to embrace him. He looked at her with a emotionless stare. "It's over...I can't do this anymore...You make me sick." The door closed before she had been able to react. The married couple cried their hearts at their anguish. Shizuka had done it out in the open; Kaiba silently screamed inside. He wanted nothing more than to be close to his wife. But his suffering and more importantly his selfishness prevented him from doing so; as much as he had wanted to he really couldn't, knowing she would leave him some time in the undetermined future. It could be next week, month, year, or tomorrow for all he knew. Life was so unfair. _

He had tried for hours to go to sleep. But once again, the sandman eludes him. He gets up and starts working out. All the things that have occurred, since Kaiba met Shizuka have led to this moment. What he once had thought to be the worst thing to happen in his life; was actually one of the best things that had come his way. He still can't get the thought of what his brother had done to his wife, more than a year ago out of his mind. What had happened afterward; had lead to the first arguement he and Seto had ever had.

_He had come home from visiting Yugi and the others. He had stayed longer than he anticipated. It had not been long enough to avoid laying eyes on the woman. He had been walking the foyer; as a woman with blue hair passed by him. She stops knowing who he is. "Tell your brother, he is going to regret ever throwing me out." She left after that. Not knowing what she had been talking about, he had kept walking. He hadn't gotten far when he had heard a racket coming from the entertainment room. Upon inspection, he is shocked at what he sees. The room was chaotic, There were things laying all over the place; things that were broken beyond repair. Shizuka had been in the process of destroying something else. He sees it is something irreplaceable. He reaches her, grabbing her hand. He prevents the thing from being thrown. Going by the sequence of things, he can guess what upset her. No matter how far his brother had gone with that woman, he was in for it._

_She is his arms the next instant crying her heart out. He puts his arms around her. After a few minutes of letting her cry and realizing she isn't go to stop anytime soon; he takes her chin in his hand. Tilting her head, forcing her to look at him. He acts on instinct alone. Not bothering to think twice, he leans forward kissing her on the lips. She looks at him, suprised. He pulls back with a smile on his face. "See I got you to stop crying...I know I haven't always accepted you, but I am here for you now...I can't just desert you when you needed a friend these past months, and will continue to in the months to come." "Thank you, Mokuba." "Now tell me exactly what happened?" She looks at the fifteen year old before her. _

_She thinks of how he has changed in front of her eyes. He had gone from being a short, skinny thirteen year old to being a tall, slightly built fifteen year old. He went from standing at five feet to almost six feet in those two years. He still appeared lanky though. After breaking out of her reminisce, she answers his question. " I had been waiting up for Seto, for he hadn't come home yet...I had just finished checking on Aoi...I had left her room to go wait for up for him some more; when I heard noise coming from outside his door...I saw...He had her in his arms...He had heard me ask where he had been...He just looked at me like I wasn't there...He turned back to the woman...He kissed her rather passionately in front of me...I took off after that." _

_"Before I comment on this situation, fill me in on why the two of you have been distant with each other lately...It wouldn't surprise me, if it was Seto's decision..." He thinks of how they had gone out of their way to avoid each other; the last four months. Whenever they couldn and when the other wasn't looking; they would steal glances of longing of the other...He knows he had been the only one to see it, for the couple became blind to what the other did. Knowing his brother, he came only to one conclusion. "Seto, ran scared didn't he?" Mokuba's sentence had been both a question and statement. _

_He knew his brother as well as she did. "Yes." "Then don't let him being scared drive you away." "I know him flaunting this woman in front of me, had been a ploy to drive me even further away...It won't work but that doesn't mean I wasn't hurt by it...And if I tried to get close to him, at this point he would just push me away...What do I do, Mokuba." Knowing what she had said was true, he said the only thing he could. "Just keep loving and supporting him like you have always done." In order, to keep comforting and reassuring his sister-in-law; he lead her to his room. His last thought. ' If Seto ever finds out she slept in my bed; I will be a dead man walking.' They slept side by side. _

_At one point during the night, she wound up in his arms. Her head in the crook of his neck. They went to great lengths afterward, to make sure Seto never found out where and how they had spent the night. It may have been innocent. They both knew that wouldn't stop the elder Kaiba from trying to kill his brother for it, though. That had been his fondest moment of her, for that had been the moment he had let himself connect with her. He started crying. 'I should have let her in from the beginning...She had to adjust to living in our house with no friends...She never treated anyone with unkindess, not even me...Yet I had been incredibly rude to her...Shizuka, I am still trying to make up for it by watching over your children.' _He fell asleep on the floor in his room. He had become too exhausted to go to his bed.


	7. Cruelty at its best Love at its worst pt...

He had just gotten off work. Tugging at his tie, he walks up the stairs. He didn't know how he had managed to escape the torture. The company has been testing new technology to improve the game of Duel Monsters. So he and his brother had been running around and working almost non stop for days now. Him, leaving that day left the workload for his brother. He knew his brother would have stay at work anyway, until he has finished. This left him to rush home, so that he can watch the children. The maid was suppose to have been off hours ago. He takes his shoes off when he enters the house. The maid comes and removes his jacket. "Master Mokuba, you look exhausted...Let me make you some tea before I leave." "Arigato." " The children are in the library...Aoi is studying, while Suzaku is watching tv."

Since he was too young to read from the books in the library; his brother had put a tv in there so Suzaku could be entertained. He opens the door. The sight suprises him. For once they aren't at each others throats, he picks up Suzaku. The boy turns around in his arms. He laughs recognizing who it is, " Uncle Mokuba! " His uncle is walking toward his sister. Mokuba pats Aoi's head. "What are you reading?" "War and Peace." He balks at her answer. ' _A three year shouldn't be reading something like that.' _ He is about to tell her so, when she interrupts. " Tell us a story, Uncle Mokuba." "Hai, but first the two of you need to get ready for bed. She holds Suzaku's hand leading him out of the room. Mokuba smiles at the sibling display. By this time he has forgotten about the tea and the maid couldn't find him.

They are all sitting on Aoi's bed. "Continue where you left off from last time, Uncle Mokuba, please." "Let's see, the person the prince met that had changed his life had been a woman...He had never found himself interested so much in one person...The prince and the woman started to spend a lot of time together...One day some time after they had been spending time together; he had asked her to marry him." "What did she say?" "She said yes, Aoi...Their happiness didn't last long though...Three years after they had been married they had found out, that she had something inside her that was causing her to die slowly."

He sits his niece and nephew on his lap. Suzaku has just been staring at him this whole time with interest. He would continue to do so. "More," he says innocently. Having himself wrapped around the childrens' fingers, he obliges his nephew. By this time, they had had a daughter that was a year old...They had been trying to deal with the situation...And for a while, they had succeeded for they truly loved each other...However love doesn't always mean everything will turn out all right...The prince wound up buckling under the pressure...He ran scared."

Aoi starts crying at this point. He quickly calms her down. "Aoi, everything turned out all right in the end...It got worse before it got better though...The prince left her for awhile...She had been pregnant at the time." "What's pregnant?" "It is something you will learn about as you get older...Anyway, the prince had pushed his princess away; but from her actions he saw that, that hadn't been enough...So one night he had brought another woman home with him...The princess had been waiting for him...She went to where he had been...Upon noticing her, he kissed the other woman in front of her; hoping that would for sure drive her away...It worked but he couldn't help the ache it had caused in his heart...He pushed the other woman away, telling her he never wanted to see her again."

" They had spent some time apart after that...They actually went out of their way to avoid each other...This lasted four months and in that time their isolation of one another had started to affect, not only them but their marriage as well...They would never give into divorce, but to not see each other for the rest of their lives...Well, hers anyway; hurt both of them more than they had wanted to admit...Luckily; the knight that had loyally served the prince for many years, couldn't watch the pain they had been inflicting on each other and themselves any longer...One night the knight had tricked the princess to be locked in a room with the prince...Let's just say them being forced to be in each other's company, had been a good idea on the knight's part...After that incident, it had become most difficult to separate them...She had the baby two months afterward...I won't go into that though...Its not something to tell children." "What happened to her?" "Well, she wound up dying." "When and how?" "I won't tell you that...Its something else I won't discuss with children...Good night." He kissed their foreheads and covered them up as he had said that. Leaving the door open a crack, leaving the hallway light on, he proceeds to his room.

His brother left the office an hour ago. He was relieved somewhat. It may have given him more work to do, but at least one of them was with the children, and relaxing. He has gotten better over the past year. He knew at some point; he had to do something to help him. It hadn't taken much persuasion from Mokuba at that point to go see a therapist. It took half a year of seeing the professional. It has now been two years since she passed away. Him, Mokuba, and his children all a year older. Well, actually Suzaku's birthday is rapidly approaching; his son would be turning two.

He is thinking of what had happened when she died. After the night, Mokuba had locked them in his office; he had done nothing but stay by her side. However, the day she had gone into labor; he had been forced to fix a technicality that had arisen in the company that morning. It had been a little after noon when Mokuba had called him, telling him what had happened. He had dropped everything and left the building like a bat out of hell. He had arrived at the hospital in record time.

Mokuba had had to fill in for his brother. Shizuka had started to have problems with the labor. She had been there an hour when Kaiba had arrived. The labor had been a quick one; she had been halfway through when the pain started. On top of that, the contractions had started to intensify. She held her hands to her temples. Screaming and begging for the pain to stop. She went and held one hand to her abdomen; the other still at her temple. The baby's arrival approaching even more rapidly. Mokuba knew he couldn't do anything, but watch his sister-in-law writhe in agony. As the baby was almost out; she had lost consciousness.

Kaiba had been trying to get in the room. The doctor had to request orderlies. He had been explaining the situation to Kaiba; when Seto had tried to force his way in. " Sir, I am very sorry but the situation is far from good...You may be the father...But we can't let you in until the worst of it has passed." The doctor adamantly blocked the door. Normally the father would have been let in; but the staff thought her state would be too much for him to witness. They felt sorry that the brother-in-law had to witness this. They had been trying to revive her. When they had, she had asked why she had been in pain. The notion came to her. She wasn't going to make it. The doctors began to tell her to hang on, until after the baby had been born. They told her the labor had somehow aggravated her tumor, to the point of being irreversible. She had heard the baby's first cry as she had whispered a name.

Mokuba had picked up what she had said, knowing what she had meant. She had gone limp. The machine had started flatlining the next moment. They had handed the baby to Mokuba, as they had tried to bring her back. He had walked out of the room when they had pronounced the time of death. The operating doctor accompanied him to break the news to his brother and their friends. He noticed Seto, Yugi, Atemu Honda, Mai, Katsuya, Anzu, Ryou, Bakura,Otogi, Rashid, Isis and Malik outside the room. Mokuba looked down at the floor, unable to face his brother. Seto broke down the next moment. He gave a heart shattering scream before he had wound up in a fetal position crying his heart out.

It had taken him a month before he had bothered to look at his son. He had yet to put a name on the birth certificate. He had found himself in his son's nursery. Upon looking at the sleeping infant, his heart melted. He took the slumbering child in his arms. He had sat in the rocking chair. Stroking the boy's forehead, the boy awakened from his sleep. He looked right up at his father. Kaiba had started to speak to him.

"I remember how your mother looked on our wedding day...She had always had the ability to make my mouth dry...Yet I had always had managed to speak at the right moment...When I had laid eyes on her coming up the aisle my heart froze...I had become tongue tied...I had been luckly that I had been able to speak a moment after I was to say my vows..We had decided to go through with traditional vows...Yet words from my heart had spilled forward...I had sworn to never leave her, to always love her despite the hard times...that as long as I lived I would never met a more beautiful woman...She had captured my heart instantly...I had become blind to other women after meeting her...I had wound up failing her years later...I had been able to make up for my mistake though, before it had been too late...Just a word of advice, your father can be such a fool at times." Mokuba walked in the room, hating to break the endearing moment. "His name is Suzaku...She said that before she died...Now that you are physically accepting him...It is time I informed you, so you can have it put on the birth certificate." Seto ignored him. He kissed his son's nose. "Aishiteru, my Suzaku."


	8. Forgiveness and a second chance

It had been a month since the incident with Kisara. In that time, Kaiba had managed to avoid Shizuka. He had only accomplished that by spending every waking moment at his company. Mokuba saw that this physical and emotional distance was taking too much of a toll on their marriage. The only thing that had kept them divorcing; and still keeps them from going through with that action is their love for one another. Despite the circumstance life had thrown at them, and the decision Kaiba had made. The one that he thought was best for him, didn't change the fact that they still burned for one another.

He leaned his head back closing his eyes, resting for a moment. A memory of Shizuka straddling him and kissing him passionately enters his mind. He couldn't of helped but moan. The next moment, his eyes snap open. He started thinking of something else, otherwise he knew he would have caved; leading to him expericing more heartache after she dies.

* * *

She had gone to the grocery store to have some time alone. She had left Aoi with him. Actually, he had volunteered to watch his niece. She had just fallen asleep in his lap. He couldn't let his brother and sister-in-law suffer in silence. He had been thinking of ideas to get them together. He had finally thought of a perfect excuse. He decided to put it in effect once she came back. She had walked in the house an hour later. He had quickly gone to help her. She had been seven months pregnant at that time. As it was she shouldn't have gone by herself in her condition, with how much she had brought back. 

"Shizuka, when we finish I would like you to come with me." "Where?" "I left something very important at the office after I left work today." "So why do you need me to go with you?" "I don't want to go by myself...I would really like you to accompany me, please." Knowing she couldn't deny her brother-in-law anything when he was like that way she gave in, "your brother won't be there will he?" Mokuba had decided to lie to her. He knew she could get stubborn as a mule from time to time. Well, the same could be said of his brother. It was easier this way. "Let me go tell the maid to watch Aoi, while we are gone."

They had entered the building twenty minutes later. They arrived at the floor that housed his and his brother's office. " I need to get something from Seto's office, then we will proceed to mine." She had been standing right next to him. As soon as he had opened the door he had given her a light push inside; the door had immediately locked for he had set the security timer some time, before they had left the mansion.

* * *

He walked away, making his way to the elevators. He ignored her pounding on the door. Seto had looked up from his paperwork at the sudden noise. She stopped twenty seconds after she had started. She knew if Mokuba was going to let her out, he would have told her so immediately. ' _That can only mean one thing.' _She turned around to be faced with her husband. She had quickly turned away; so he wouldn't see the hurt and hope that had she still held in her eyes. After the noise broke his concentration, the last person he expected to see was her. It left him feeling elated. He put his paperwork down. 

He had thought separating himself from her would have eased his pain. He had never been more mistaken about something in his life. Seeing her in his office and knowing they had been locked in by her pounding on the door, made him want to take everything back. It was easier said than done though. However, he had never been one to do things halfway; therefore giving him aggressive and competitive attributes. Sure, she had managed to tone down the aggressive part of his personality. Although, him keeping his love for her repressed caused him to dominant the situation. Unable to deny himself any longer, he wound up taking her right then and there, on the floor in his office.

He knew his brother had been the one who had been responsible for the predicament they had been in. At any other time and during different circumstances, he thought...No, he knew he would have been furious. However, he couldn't have been happier. His brother would let them out tomorrow before office hours. For now, they had the whole night to themselves. She had been laying her head and and hand on his chest. He had his arm around her. He kissed her forehead, before laying his head on top of hers. " I don't deserve you for with the way I had treated you."

He interwined his fingers with hers after he had said that. "Its okay...Even though I had been angry; and still am that you kissed and dated another woman...I knew that you hadn't stopped loving me...You were just scared, and running away is a person's average reaction...I know if you were in my position, I would want to run away too, for I would be scared out of my mind knowing that your life was to be cut short...I had stopped being afraid of knowing that I am going to die not long after the operation had been unsuccesful...What scared me more was the possibility that I could have lost you after you left me."

"Despite, what I had done in the end...I don't really think I could have really left you...From the moment, I met you; you had cemented yourself in my heart." "It occurred for me on our first date, when you had given me those Sakura Blossoms...I will never leave you either; nor have I ever contemplating do so, nor will I ever not willingly anyway." She lightly tapped the area where his heart is. "I will always been right there with you...The same for our children...I will live on in your minds through memories, and your hearts through love." She kissed his jaw.

He raised her hand to his lips, kissing it. She still had, had her head on his chest. His arm tightened its grip around her waist. Their interwined hands placed over his heart. This is how they fell asleep. His brother smiled at hearing the last of their conversation. He had barely arrived at the security's control room. '_ At least, they aren't avoiding each other now.'_ That reminded him of a song that was appriopriate for this occasion.

* * *

Lying beside you, here in the dark

_Feeling your heart beat with mind_

_Softly you whisper, you're so sincere_

_How could our live be so blind_

_We sailed on together_

_We drifted apart_

_And here you are by my side_

_So now I come to you, with open arms_

_Nothing to hid, believe what I say_

_So here I am with open arms_

_Hoping you'll see what your love means to me_

_Open arms_

_Living without you, living alone_

_This empty house seems so cold_

_Wanting to hold you, wanting you near_

_How much I wanted you home_

_But now that you've come back_

_Turned night into day_

_I need you to stay._

Open Arms by Journey


	9. A Turn for the worse

He had just gotten off work. Tugging at his tie, he walks up the stairs. He didn't know how he had managed to escape the torture. The company has been testing new technology to improve the game of Duel Monsters. So he and his brother had been running around and working almost non stop for days now. Him, leaving that day left the workload for his brother. He knew his brother would have stay at work anyway, until he has finished.

This left him to rush home, so that he can watch the children. The maid was suppose to have been off hours ago. He takes his shoes off when he enters the house. The maid comes and removes his jacket. "Master Mokuba, you look exhausted...Let me make you some tea before I leave." "Arigato." " The children are in the library...Aoi is studying, while Suzaku is watching tv."

Since he was too young to read from the books in the library; his brother had put a tv in there so Suzaku could be entertained. He opens the door. The sight suprises him. For once they aren't at each others throats, he picks up Suzaku. The boy turns around in his arms. He laughs recoginizing who it is, " Uncle Mokuba! " His uncle is walking toward his sister. Mokuba pats Aoi's head. "What are you reading?" "War and Peace."

He balks at her answer. ' _A three year shouldn't be reading something like that.' _He is about to tell her so, when she interrupts. " Tell us a story, Uncle Mokuba." "Hai, but first the two of you need to get ready for bed. She holds Suzaku's hand leading him out of the room. Mokuba smiles at the sibling display. By this time he has forgotten about the tea and the maid couldn't find him.

They are all sitting on Aoi's bed. "Continue where you left off from last time, Uncle Mokuba, please." "Let's see, the person the prince met that had changed his life had been a woman...He had never found himself interested so much in one person...The prince and the woman started to spend a lot of time together...One day some time after they had been spending time together; he had asked her to marry him." "What did she say?" "She said yes, Aoi...Their happiness didn't last long though...Three years after they had been married they had found out, that she had something inside her that was causing her to slowly die."

He sits his niece and nephew on his lap. Suzaku has just been staring at him this whole time with interest. He would continue to do so. "More," he says innocently. Having himself wrapped around the childrens' fingers, he obliges his nephew. By this time, they had had a daughter that was a year old...They had been trying to deal with the situation...And for a while, they had succeeded for they truly loved each other...However love doesn't always mean everything will turn out all right...The prince wound up buckling under the pressure...He ran scared."

Aoi starts crying at this point. He quickly calms her down. "Aoi, everything turned out all right in the end...It got worse before it got better though...The prince left her for awhile...She had been pregnant at the time." "What's pregnant?" "It is something you will learn about as you get older...Anyway, the prince had pushed his princess away; but from her actions he saw that, that hadn't been enough...So one night he had brought another woman home with him...The princess had been waiting for him...She went to where he had been...Upon noticing her, he kissed the other woman in front of her; hoping that would for sure drive her away...It worked but he couldn't help the ache it had caused in his heart...He pushed the other woman away, telling her he never wanted to see her again."

" They had spent some time apart after that...They actually went out of their way to avoid each other...This lasted four months and in that time their isolation of one another had started to affect, not only them but their marriage as well...They would never give into divorce, but to not see each other for the rest of their lives...Well, hers anyway; hurt both of them more than they had wanted to admit...Luckily; the knight that had loyally served the prince for many years, couldn't watch the pain they had been inflicting on each other and themselves any longer...One night the knight had tricked the princess to be locked in a room with the prince...Let's just say them being forced to be in each other's company, had been a good idea on the knight's part...After that incident, it had become most difficult to separate them...She had the baby two months afterward...I won't go into that though...Its not something to tell children." "What happened to her?" "Well, she wound up dying." "When and how?" "I won't tell you that...Its something else I won't discuss with children...Good night." He kissed their foreheads and covered them up as he had said that. Leaving the door open a crack, leaving the hallway light on, he proceeds to his room.

* * *

His brother left the office an hour ago. He was relieved somewhat. It may have given him more work to do, but at least one of them was with the children, and relaxing. He has gotten better over the past year. He knew at some point; he had to do something to help him. It hadn't taken much persuasion from Mokuba at that point to go see a therapist. It took half a year of seeing the professional. It has now been two years since she passed away. Him, Mokuba, and his children all a year older. Well, actually Suzaku's birthday is rapidly approaching; his son would be turning two. He is thinking of what had happened when she died.

_After the night, Mokuba had locked them in his office; he had done nothing but stay by her side. However, the day she had gone into labor; he had been forced to fix a technicality that had arisen in the company that morning. It had been a little after noon when Mokuba had called him, telling him what had happened. He had dropped everything and left the building like a bat out of hell. He had arrived at the hospital in record time._

_Mokuba had had to fill in for his brother. Shizuka had started to have problems with the labor. She had been there an hour when Kaiba had arrived. The labor had been a quick one; she had been halfway through when the pain started. On top of that, the contractions had started to intensify. She held her hands to her temples. Screaming and begging for the pain to stop. She went and held one hand to her abdomen; the other still at her temple. The baby's arrival approaching even more rapidly. Mokuba knew he couldn't do anything, but watch his sister-in-law writhe in agony. As the baby was almost out; she had lost consciousness._

_Kaiba had been trying to get in the room. The doctor had to request orderlies. He had been explaining the situation to Kaiba; when Seto had tried to force his way in. " Sir, I am very sorry but the situation is far from good...You may be the father...But we can't let you in until the worst of it has passed." The doctor adamantly blocked the door. Normally the father would have been let in; but the staff thought her state would be too much for him to witness. They felt sorry that the brother-in-law had to witness this. _

_They had been trying to revive her. When they had, she had asked why she had been in pain. The notion came to her. She wasn't going to make it. The doctors had to began her to hang on, until after the baby had been born. They told her the labor had somehow aggriavated her tumor, to the point of being irreversible. She had heard the baby's first cry as she had whispered a name._

_Mokuba had picked up what she had said, knowing what she had meant. She had gone limp. The machine had started flatlining the next moment. They had handed the baby to Mokuba, as they had tried to bring her back. He had walked out of the room when they had pronounced the time of death. The operating doctor accompanied him to break the news to his brother and their friends. He noticed Seto, Yugi, Honda, Mai, Jounouchi, Anzu, Ryou, Isis, Rashid, and Malik outside the room. Mokuba looked down at the floor, unable to face his brother. Seto broke down the next moment. He gave a heart shattering scream before he had wound up in a fetal position crying his heart out.

* * *

_

_It had taken him a month before he had bothered to look at his son. He had yet to put a name on the birth certificate. He had found himself in his son's nursery. Upon looking at the sleeping infant, his heart melted. He took the slumbering child in his arms. He had sat in the rocking chair. Stroking the boy's forehead, the boy awakened from his sleep. He looked right up at his father. Kaiba had started to speak to him._

_"I remember how your mother looked on our wedding day...She had always had the ability to make my mouth dry...Yet I had always had managed to speak at the right moment...When I had laid eyes on her coming up the aisle my heart froze...I had become tongue tied...I had been luckly that I had been able to speak a moment after I was to say my vows..When had decided to go through with traditional vows...Yet words from my heart had spilled forward...I had sworn to never leave her, to always love her despite the hard times...that as longed as I lived I would never met a more beautiful woman...She had captured my heart instantly...I had become blind to other women after meeting her...I had wound up failing her years later...I had been able to make up for my mistake though, before it had been too late...Just a word of advice, your father can be such a fool at times." Mokuba walked in the room, hating to break the endearing moment. "His name is Suzaku...She said that before she died...Now that you are physically accepting him...It is time I informed you, so you can have it put on the birth certificate." Seto ignored him. He kissed his son's nose. "Aishiteru, my Suzaku."_


	10. A new day

He opened the door without knocking. He sees that she is still asleep. He walks to the window. He pulls the curtains back. She has always been a person that takes her time getting up, especially on a weekend day like today. The sun blankets her; she simply rolls over shielding herself from its brillance. He stands by the window watching her for a few minutes. Knowing that this isn't working . He decides to take matters into his own hands. He walks up to the slumbering occupant of the bed. He knows what he had just done has left her half awake. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he starts shaking her. "Hey, wake up...You're going to be late...Hurry, we have to get ready...You're uncles, aunts, and cousins are coming, along with our friends." She tries to swat him away, but fails. "I'll be right up...please leave so I can get ready, father."

As she is getting ready, she thinks of the stories her uncle and father have told her over the years about her mother. She stops to look at the picture on her nightstand. "Ohayo!" It has been the greeting she has given her picture every morning, since her father had given it to her. She starts thinking of what has happened, the things she can still remember. She is thinking of when her uncle Mokuba had finally gotten married to his girlfriend. She had been ten. She had never seen her uncle so happy. She meant he had been happy before that when he had been with her father, her, and her brother. However, there had always been a display of sadness. When he had married Rebecca though, it had disappeared.

She has just finished putting her shoes on. She is now thinking of the problem her father had one to two years, after her mother had died. She understood to an extent, even back then to be patient with his quickly released anger. And since she had been a child, her innocent love gave him some measure of support. Her plane of thought shifts. She hasn't seen her uncle Jounouchi and his family in years. After the night, Kaiba had been found with Kisara; and after her mother had told Jounouchi what had happened, her uncle has yet to fully forgive her father for the pain he had caused her mother.

After her uncle Mokuba had married Rebecca, he had decided to buy a place of his own. He told her his brother didn't need him as much as he use to. Due to his busy life as vice president, he hadn't managed to see them often. She has yet to meet her cousins. They have two with a third on the way. He had told her the news last week with they had been on the phone. He had told her that ever since he had married Rebecca, he had taken his duties as vice-president more seriously. He would find himself at the office at all hours. Rebecca never started an arguement over his constant absence, nor would she ever. He always made sure he spent enough time with his children. Once they started having children she gave up her occupation. She didn't let him having to neglect her bother her either. She knew he loved her unconditionally, so she never saw it fit to get upset over. It would just be a waste of her time. Actually, they never fought over anything.

She suddenly recalls her father and Mokuba telling her and Suzaku how their parents wedding had gone. Mokuba had started laughing when he explained Kaiba's sudden lack of speech. "_It had come time for your father to say his vows, when he froze up...Your mother had always managed to make your father nervous...The entire audience I'm sure became worried he would display his cold feet right then, calling the whole thing off." _Kaiba turned on him, speaking with slight annoyance and anger. "_I would have never done such a thing._" His brother had started laughing again, only at his expression and defensive mood that time around. "_He was suppose to say traditional vows...Just when I had started to think he was going to abruptly leave...He had started speaking...I won't repeat his vows...I don't want to embarass him anymore." 'Though I had never had the privilege of hearing my brother saying something romantic before that, or after for that matter.'_

To this day, she is still a little curious of what he had promised her mother, when they had been at the altar. Last year when it had been the anniversary of her mother's death; he had told her he had never been one for big crowds or spending expensive items strictly for himself. But for her, he would have done anything. He wanted to make her happy; and if she had wanted all their friends and her family there, he had made sure it happened that way. It helped that normally she didn't want the things his money could supply her with. She loved him wholeheartedly, and that had been more than enough for him. When it had come to each other; they had preferred to spend time in each other's company in their own home, rather than have gone to a public place.

She looked at her mother's picture. At times like this she longed for her companionship, more than anything in the world. She laid on the bed crying her heart out. There had been times she had doubted she and her brother were her parents' children. She had stopped thinking this though; the one time she questioned Kaiba about it. They had been having a conversation. _"Father, I have to know for there are times I wonder...Suzaku and I look nothing like you or mother, are we really your children?" _

_The slap stunned her into silence. The action had shocked her. She hadn't been expecting his answer, nor the unintended force behind the blow. "What's the matter with you?...How could you have even conceived such a ludicrous idea?...Your mother loved you and Suzaku more than anything, even more than me...I mean she died so that your brother could live, and here you are throwing that emotion in her face with your doubt." He had been unable to continue. His anger would have made him do something he would regret. He stalked away from her. Slamming the door in his anger, she had been left alone with regret for being unable to hold her tongue. _

She hadn't blamed him. If she had been in his shoes, she would have reacted the same way. She put her pants on knowing everyone would be arriving soon, if they hadn't already. She heard banging on her door. "Aoi, hurry up; our guests will be arriving soon." She heard her brother run away laughing after that. The boy had been born with a smile on his face. It was extremely rare that it left his face. She had just finished putting her shirt on. She is currently holding her balance; while putting one of her shoes on. The next moment she put the other one on. As she had been doing so, the doorbell rang.

'_ Crap, father is going to be happy with my tardiness...And I still have to get ready.' _She finished fixing her hair, and putting on make-up as quick as possible. She finished half an hour later. Walking out the door that leads to their backyard, she notices everyone socializing with each other. Her cousins are playing with each other; since they are around the same age group. Yugi, Anzu, Honda, Otogi, Ryou, and Jounouchi are talking amongst themselves. Her aunts, Isis, Rishid, and Malik are watching her cousins, Yugi's and Ryou's children, and her brother who is currently teasing them. Yugi's children took after him and Anzu. She looks in the opposite direction to see her father and uncle watching the hamburgers cook on the grill. Feeling that someone is watching them, they turn to face her. Her father graces her with a genuine smile. She returns it. She walks up to them. She looks at the man who had more involvement in raising her and her brother. The eighteen year old jumps in his arms. "How are you, Uncle Mokuba?" He just nods his head smiling. Putting her down, the three watch the patties continue cooking. They are soon joined by the rest of their guests. Looking at every single one of them, she greets them with a smile. "Its about time...You took long enough, sis." "Sorry." She still loved Suzaku, despite how annoying she could find him to be. ' _Yes, life is definitely good.' _Shielding her eyes, she looks to the sky and sun. ' _Where ever you are okaasan, we are all together again...We love you...I love you.'_

Owari


End file.
